Flitting device



Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,861

' c. F. POOLE FLITTING DEVICE Filed` Dec. 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 27, 1928.

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Nov. 27, 1928.

c. F. POOLE FLITTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 25, 1926 :s sheets-sheet 5 l l l l Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

CLARENCE ir. POOLE, or nvANs'moN,

ING COMPANY, or CHICAGO,

*iLLINOI ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFACTUR- ILLINOIS, A` CQRIORATION OF ILLINOIS.

rLiT'riNG nnvion.

Application led December 25, 1926. Serial No. 157,010.

This invention relates to imp flitting devices for rovements in mining machines and ias for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient auxiliary for transporting a keif cutting draft means mining machine from one place to another over mine bottoms for greater distance higher rate of speed than is ord s and at a inarily possible with machines of this character.

My invention is more particularly adapt-ed for use in connection with mining machines of the continuous lierf cutting type, used especially for undercutting or shortwall coal in mine rooms using the room and pillar System of mining, and comprises a detachable auxiliary di'aft or power device for transporting the mining machine over the mine bottom from cutting place to cutting of transporting a mining ma The auxiliary draft device is prowith a detachable power connection The operation chine as described, intermediate the cutting places is generally known as flitting.

The mining machine and the auxiliary draft device may be carried bodily upon a wheeled mining machine truck which is provided `with detachable power draft device, whereby the enti may mine tracks in the usual manner.

connections to the auxiliary re apparatus be transported from room to room along Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description.

The invention may be vbest u reference to the accompanying time to time in the course of ndeistood by drawings illustrating one form in which it may be embodied. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cutting apparatus including a cutting machine of the shortwall type connected to the auxiliary draft device,

as embodied in my invention, both being carried upon a mining machine truck;

Figure 2 is a side elevationof the apparatus shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the auxiliary draft device connected to the mining machine and having parts broken away to show the drive connections;

Figure 4 is a transverse sec the base frame tion through of the auxiliary draft device taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse seo tion through Referring now in detail to the drawings,v

my invention is shown as applied to a cutting mechanism 10 of the shortwall type, bodily supported on a wheeled truck 11, of the usual type and construction. The cutting mechanism 10 is mounted on a subframe or underframe 12 for sliding movement over mine bottoms during cutting operations and in moving from the truck to the working face and return. rFhe cutting mechanism is provided with the usual cutting element comprising a longitudinally extendingcutter bar 13, having an endless cutter chain 14.- mounted thereon, (not shown). The machine is sumped and fed across the face by meansof flexible draft ropes 15, 16, actuated byA their respective feed drums 17, 18, disposed on 'either side of said cutting mechanism. Either of said feed drumsy may be -selectively engaged from a motor 19 as desired. 'Both the cutting and i'iexible feeding mechanisms are driven through suitable gearing from said motor. Further detailed explanation of the cutting mechanism need not be hereiny de'- scribed as it forms no part of the present invention, excepting to point out that an auxiliary draft device 20 has a detachable power connection with said motor.

The auxiliary draft device 2O is mounted on a U frame 25 detachably connectable to the underframe 12 of the cutting mechanism and in line therewith so as to be conjointly moved over ymine bottoms fromv place to place, as will now be described.

The underframe 12 comprises a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending channels 2G, 2G, having the flanges thereof turned inwardly toward each other. and connected together by a base plate or shoe 27 secured to the lower flanges. of said channels. Guide plates 28, 28, are affixed to the inner surfaces of the ii'anges of Saidv channels adjacent th'e rear end thereof and are adapted topguide and support tongue extensions 2 9,

Q9', which are secured to the inside of the whilev vertical walls at the forward end of the U frame 25 of said auxiliary draft device. The tongue extensions herein described are preferably of channel construction permitting guide support on three sides. The arrangement of this guided support is ,such as will positively align the bottom of the U frame 25 of the auxiliary draft device and the bottom of the shoe 27 of the cutting mechanism so as to provide a continuous sliding surface for the cutting mechanism and auxiliary draft device, for sliding universally over mine bottoms. A

y Referring now to the detachable connections of the U frame 25 to the underframe 12, I provide coupling devices 'at each side of the mechanism, said coupling devices include bracket members 35, 35, pivotally mounted to the outside of the forward end of the vertical walls of the U frame 25 and are adapted to be detachably connected to second bracket members 36, 36, secured to the outside of the rear end of the channels 26, 26, of said underf'rame by means of threaded member 37, 37. It will now be seen that the auxiliary draft device may be readily detached or connected to the cutting mechanism, and usually remains in the latter condition with said cutting mechanism for traversing mine bottoms7 such as in Hitting from one cutting place to another, but is disconnected therefrom during the sumping or other cutting operations.

The driving mechanism for the auxiliary draft Adevice is mounted at the rear of the U frame 25. Said driving mechanism is detachably driven from the motor 19 in one of a number of customary arrangements, the details of which need not be herein described. In the arrangement herein illustrated, I provide a winding drum 40 mounted on a horizontally disposed shaft extending transversely of the auxiliary draft device and having support in suitable bearings at either of the vertical walls of said U frame.V The winding drum is preferably of large proportions so as to carry a flexible cable 41 thereon of a length greater than either of the flexible draft ropes 15 and 16 of the cutting mechanism. The gearing of the auxiliary draft device is such as will provide a relatively high -rate of speed for the winding drum, whereby the cutting mechanism with the auxiliary draft device may be moved greater distances and at a higher rate of speed than is ordinarily possible by the use of the flexible feeding mechanisms 17 and 18 of the cutting mechanism.

Guide devices are provided on the auxiliary draft device and the cutting mechanism for guiding the cable 41 in either a forwardly or rearwardly direction. A pair of guide sheaves 42, 42. are disposed at either of the rear corners of the auxiliary power device and are adapted to receive the cable from a spooler guide 43 disposed on the U frame `rearwardly of the winding drum 40. Said spcoler guide isadapted to guide the cable on and off the winding drum 40. The cable is trained over the sheave 42 in a forwardly direction engaging a swivel guide sheave 44 mounted on a pivot arm support which is attached to the forward corner of the cutting machanism, thence over a main guide sheave 45 detachably mounted on the cutter bar 13. The main guide sheave 45 is mounted on a U bracket clip- 46 which is adapted to be placed around the cutter bar and detachably secured thereto by a pin 47, as illustrated in Figure 5. The sheave and ti bracket is removed from the cutter bar befcre the sumping or cutting operationis commenced. A coacting guide sheave 48 is centrally disposed at the rear endof the auxiliary draft device and is adapted to have the cable 41 trained tliereover from the spooler guide for drawing the complete mechanism in a rearwardly direction.

The truck 11 is adapted to transport the cutting mechanism and auxiliary draft device bodily from place to place over mine tracks. Said truck is provided with a detachable drive connection from the motor 19 through the auxiliary draft device. rlhis drive connection is similar to the usual detachable drive from the cutting mechanism directly to the truck and details therefor need not to be herein described.

The use and operation of the device above described is as follows:

The main entries of mines are usually provided with tracks 50, 50, over which trucks bearing cutting mechanisms may be readily transported, but, in many instances, it is desirable to transport the cutting mechanism beyond the end of the tracks, as for instance, in mine rooms where it is not deemed practical or economical to extend temporary tracks up to the working face indicated at 51. In many mines, tracking is not laid beyond the room neck. Furthermore, in many instances, mining' machine trucks cannot be used to transport cutting mechanisms into mine rooms due to low coal or insuflicient overhead clearance, in which case the auxiliary draft device as herein described is of greatest assistance in Hitting the'cutting mechanism to and from the face at a relatively high rate of speed. l

The cutting mechanism and the auxiliary draft device may be bodily loaded or unloaded from the truck as a unit. After the complete unit is unloaded from the truck, the cable 41 of the auxiliary draft device is trained forwardly over the guide sheaves and anchored at a point adjacent the face. The machine is then speedily flitted over the'mine bottom to the face by applying power to the cable 41 through the power connections of the auxiliary draft device. The cutting mechanism is then detached from the draft device and is sumped into the coal and fed across the face in the usual manner. After the transverse cut, the cutting mechanism is drawn to the auxiliary draft device by power applied to its own draft ropes 15 and 16, and is again connected for conjoint movement. The cable 41 is then trained over the rear guide sheave 48, and under power of the auxiliary draft device draws the complete unit in a rearwardly direction for loading onto the truck which usually remains in the neck of the room.

From the foregoing description it will now be clear that an auxiliary draft device as embodied herein is simple in construction and operation and requires very little time in connecting and disconnecting the same from the cutting mechanism and will effect speed and economy in mining operations as hereinbefore referred to.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the scope thereof. Moreover', l do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular form illustrated, excepting as it may be specifically limited in the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a cutting mechanism having a flexible draft feeding drum, an auxiliary flexible draft device comprising a transversely disposed shaft having a winding drum mounted thereon of greater rope capacity than said feeding drum, and means whereby said auxiliary flexible draft device may be bodily detachable from and connected with the rear end of said cutting mechanism within the vertical boundaries thereof and form therewith a continuous supporting shoe for engagement with the mine floor.

2. In combination with a cutting mechanism having an actuator thereon and a feeding drum'thereon, a wheeled truck for said cutting mechanism, and auxiliary flexible draft device comprising a transversely disposed shaft having a winding drum mounted thereon of greater rope capacity than said feeding drum adapted to be detachably connected to the rear end of said cutting mechanism and forming therewith a continuous supporting shoe for engagement with the mine floor, said auxiliary draft device having detachable power connections with said actuator and other detachable power connections with the driving mechanism of said truck.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 23rd day of December, A. D. 1926.

CLARENCE F. POOLE. 

